Overhead storage for manufacturing establishments.



H. E. COFFIN..v

OVERHEAD STORAGE FOR MANUFACTURING STABLISHYMENTS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 9, 1910.

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H. E. GOFEIN. OVERHEAD STORAGE FOR MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9, 1910. 1,071,549. Patented Aug.26,1913.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co..\v/\SHxNG'r0N. n. c.

H. E. COPPIN.-

OVERHEAD STORAGE FOB. v1IIANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS.

APPLIcATIoN FILED JULY 9, 1910.

Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

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HOWARD E. COFFIN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

OVERHEAD STORAGE FOR MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, HOWARD E. CorriN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of llVayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Overhead Storage for Manufacturing Establishments, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

It is the object of the invention to increase the capacity of manufacturing plants by providing an accessible storage for the work while in a partial state of completion without interfering with the floor space available for the active work of construction.

To this end the invention consists in a system of overhead storage and a means for quickly transferring the work to the desired point for construction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings-Figure l is a cross section through a building equipped with my improved storage; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged section through the traveling carriage; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the tramway and the tram carriage, and Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of a detail.

My invention is applicable to various uses and for different lines of manufacture, but as illustrated and described it is applied to a plant for the manufacture of automobiles. As shown in Fig. l, A is the fico-r of the assembly room or other shop where the system is to be used, B are the supporting columns and C the floor above supported on said columns and girders and beams D and E. Beneath the floor C and spaced therefrom a sufficient distance to clear the girders, is suspended an over-head track system. This consists of a series of parallel tracks F preferably arrangedk to extend transversely of the building and suitably spaced to be positioned above the various points of assembly on the Hoor beneath. rlhus, where as shown, the assemblyy is the chassis of an automobile, the tracks F are spaced so as to be positioned centrally over an area sufficient for the performance of the work.

G are carriages engaging the tracks F, preferably of the trolley type and H is a hoist on each carriage for raising and lowering the work. As shown, each hoist includes a pair of blocks at opposite ends of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed J u1;7 9, 1910.

Patented Aug. 26,1913.

serial No. 571,203.

the carriage which are operated, il'unison by a single chain H.

Atv aV convenient point, preferablyin the center of the building, is a tramway I which extends the .full length yof the building.

Upon this tramway is a carriage J which supports one or more track sections Kvadapted to be alined with the tracks of the series F. The arrangement is such that by a suitable movement lof the tram carriage J, rone of its tracks K, can be alined with any one of the tracks F selected which permit-s 0f running the carriage G offl from thetrack Fand on to the track K. The tram carriage is then moved to the desired point of transfer and the carriage G is run o therefrom to the track for temporary storage. To avoid danger of the accidental running off of the carriages G from the tracks F when not `in registration with the tracks K, the former are preferably slightly inclined'. I also provide meansr for avoiding the running off of the carriages G from the tracks K consisting of guard flanges L at opposite sides ofthe tramway; said flanges being cut away at L in alinement with the tracks F.

Vith the construction as described in use, the work is performed upon the floor A and as soon as a structure is completed it is engaged by a hoist H and elevated to a sufficient height to clear the heads of the workmen. The carriage G from which it is suspended may then be transferred to any convenient location where the work may remain until again needed. s

One use of my invention which is particularly advantageous, is in a paint shop where practically double capacity is obtained by suspending freshly painted structures and transferring them to a location from which they may be removed as soon tracks on the carriage J with the series of tracks F, and also for locking thecarriage when thus registered, a latch mechanism is neferably provided. This as shown, cons ot spring latch bolts M mounted on the opposite sides of the carriage J which are adapted to register with recesses or keepers N formed in the guard flanges L. These latches may be retracted by suitable means such as the links O connected to the crank P which has a controlling lever Q. Thus by adjusting the lever the latches may be retracted to permit the travel of the carriage to the desired point, and by then. releasing the lever when the carriage is near the desired location, the spring latches will automatically engage with their keepers when the rail is in exact registration.

that l claim as my invention is:

l. An over-head storage system for work shops, comprising a series of over-head track.' distributed over the tioor area, traveling supports depending from said tracks, means 'for raising and lowering the work on said supports, a tramway extending in a dir cticn transverse to that of said tracks, a carriage traveling thereon, a rail mounted on said carriage adapted for registration with said tracks to permit the transfer of said traveling support to said carriage, and a guard flange for preventing the movement of said traveling support when the rail on said carriage is out of registration with the track sections.

2. An over-head storage system for work shops, comprising a series of over-head parallel tracks distributed over the floor area, traveling supports upon said tracks, means for raising and lowering the work on said supports, a tramway extending in a direction transverse to said tracks, a carriage thereon, a track mounted on said carriage adapted tor alternative registration with the t acks o said series, whereby said traveling supports may be transitori-ed to said carriage, and means for preventing the accidental movement of said supports o said tracks of the series and said rail on said carriage when out of registration.

3. An over-head storage system for work shops, comprising a series of over-head tracks distributed over the work oor area,

traveling Work supports upon said tracks, means for raising and lowering the work, a traveling track section adapted for alternative registration with the tracks of said series, and spring pressed means for facilitating the registration of the tracks and for locking the traveling section when thus registered.

4. An over-head storage system for work shops, comprising a series of over-head tracks distributed over the work area, traveling work supports upon said tracks, means for raising and lowering the work on said supports, a tramway extending in a direction transverse to that ot said tracks, a carriage traveling thereon, a rail mounted on said carriage adapted for registration with said tracks to permit the transfer of said travel.- ing support to said carriage, and a spring pressed means for facilitating the registration of the tracks and for locking` the traveling section when thus registered.

5. An over-head storage system tor work shops, comprising a series of over-head tracks distributed over the work 'floor area, traveling work supports upon said tracks, means tor raising and lowering the work, a traveling track section adapted for alternative registration with the tracks or said series, and means for preventing the movement of the traveling work supports oli said tracks when out of registration.

6. An overhead storage system for work shops comprising a series of overhead equidistantly spaced rails distributed over substantially the entire work floor area, a tramway extending centrally of the seri-es in a direction transverse to that of said track sections, a traveling carrier on the tramway having a pluralityot track sections adapted to simultaneouly register with a corresponding number oit said rails, a plurality of traveling work supports upon the rails adapted to independently engage said track sections, and raising and lowering means on said work supports.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HCW/YARD E. COFFIN.

Witnessesz Eri-nn, J. Essie, C. W. DioknnsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

